this is an election about america, the american family. all elections matter, of course. but this one matters a great deal. over the years of our nation's histories, choices our fellow citizens have made have changed this country's course. there were turning points of defining consequence. we're today at a turning point which our national debt and liabilities threat on the crush our future. our economy struggles under the weight of government and fails to create the essential growth and employment that we need. at the same time emerging powers seek to shape the world in their image, china in a very different way. this is an election of

consequence. our campaign is about big things because we happen to believe that america faces big challenges. we recognize this is a year with a big choice and the american people want to see big changes. and together we can bring that kind of real change to our country. [applause] you know, four years ago candidate obama spoke to the times. he shrinks from it, from characters on sesame street and silly word games to misdirected personal attacks he knows are false. his campaign falls short of the magnitude of these times and the presidency of the last four years have fallen short of the promises of his campaign. four years ago america voted for a post partisan president but

they've seen the most partisan of presidents and washington is in gridlock because of it. president obama promised to turn us together but he divided. he promised to cut the deficit in half, he doubled it. how about his budget? it failed to win a single vote either republican or democrat in either house of the congress. he said he would reform medicare and social security and save them from pending insolvency but he shrunk from proposing any solution at all. where are the jobs? where are the 9 million more jobs his stimulus would have created by now? they're in china, mexico, canada, in countries that have made themselves more attractive while obama's policies have made it less attractive here.

his campaign tries to minimize the failures and to make this election about small shiny objects. it matters more than that. it matters to your family and the senior who needs an appointment met by a receptionist saying medicare isn't taking any patients i. it matters to the man in wisconsin i spoke with a few days ago and he used to have a job at there are 25 an hour with benefits and now has one at $8 an hour without benefits. it matters to the college student with $20,000 of student debt who now learns she'll be paying for $50,000 in government debt. a burden that will put the american dream beyond the reach of oh so many.

achild that can't go to school because the union that funds it oppose the school choice t. president's campaign slogan is this, forward. but for 23 million americans struggling to find a good job, these last four years feel like backward. we can't afford four more years like the last four years. this election is about big things, like the education of our children, the value of our homes, the take home pay from our jobs, the price for the gasoline we buy and the choices we have in our healthcare. it's about the big things that determine those things, like the growth of the economy, the strength of our military, our dependence on foreign oil and america's leadership in the world. president obama frequently

reminds us that he inherited a trouble led economy, but a troubled economy is not that all he inherited. he also inherited the greatest nation in the history of the earth. [applause] he inherited the most productive and innovative nation in history. he inherited the largest economy in the world. and he inherited a people that have always risen to the occasion regardless of the challenges they face so long as they've been led by men and women who guided the nation with vision and conviction. despite all that he inherited president obama did not repair our economy, he did not save medicare and social security t. he did not tame the spending and borrowing. he did not reach across the aisle to bring us together. nor did he stand up to china's trade practices or improve our

-- what he did with what he inherited made the problem worse. [applause] in just four short years, he borrowed $6 trillion dollars. he forced through obama care frightening small business from hiring employees and adding thousands of dollars to every families healthcare bill. [applause] at business starts, they're a third year low because entrepreneurs are sitting on the side lines because of massive tax increases.

many families can't get mortgages because of dodd-frank regulation that is made it harder for banks to lend. the president vested your money in green companies that failed and sometimes were owned by his largest campaign contributors. he spent billions of dollars on companies which only added to our debt. energy prices are up because energy production on federal lands are down. he rejected the pipeline from canada even as gas line prices soared to new highs. the problem with the obama economy is not what he inherited. it's with the misguided policies that slowed the recovery and caused millions of americas to endure lengthy unemployment and poverty. [applause]

that's why 15 million more of our citizens are on food stamps than when he took office. that's why three million more women are living in poverty. that's why the economy is stagnant. today we received the latest round of discouraging economic news. last quarter our economy grew just two%. after the stimulus it would be growing at 4.3%, over twice as fast. slow economic growth which means slow job growth and declining take home pay. that's what four years of obama has produced. america is ready for change, for jobs and more take home pay and we're going to bring it to them. [applause] now you've know we've had four presidential debates and there

is nothing in what the president proposed that has any prospect of meeting the challenges of the times. rising taxes will not ignite the economy. in fact it will destroy 700,000 jobs. a new stimulus, three years after the recession officially ended that may spare government but it won't stimulate the private sector than did the stimulus four years ago. and cutting $1 trillion from the military would kill jobs and the defense. this is not time for the policies that have failed us. can time for change that measure up to the moment and can bring the american families certain that the future will be better than the past. [applause] if paul ryan and i are elected we will endeavor with all our hearts and energy to restore america. instead of more spending and more borrowing and more taxes,

we'll renew our faith in the power of free people. we'll have a plan for a stronger middle class that has five elements. one we're going to put america on track to a balanced budget by eliminating unnecessary programs and send programs back to state and by shrinking the bureaucracy in washington. number two, we'll produce more of the energy we need to heat our homes, fill our cars and make our economy grow. we will stop the obama war on coal and the effort to crimp natural gas and the very technology that produces it. [applause] we're going to support nuclear and renewables and phase out once an industry is on its feet. and rather than vesting in solar we'll invest in signs

science and research and by 2020 we will achieve north american energy independence. [applause] we'll make trade work for america. we'll open more markets for american agriculture and we'll hold accountable any nation that doesn't play by the rules. i'm going to stand up for the rights and interest of american workers and employers. and we're going to grow jobs by make ug america the best place for business and manufacturers. this will mean updating regulations while lowering deductions and closing loopholes and make it clear that unlike the current administration, we actually like business and the jobs that business creates. [applause]

and finally, as we create more opportunity, we'll make sure that our citizens have the skills they need. training programs will be where the people live and schools will put the interest of our kids and teachers and parents above the interests of the teacher's unions. when we do those five things, this economy is going to come roaring back. we're going to create 12 million new jobs in four years, we'll see rising take home pay and get the economy growing at 4% a year. we're finally going to see help for america's middle class. it is about time. [applause] and paul and i aren't going to stop. there when we take office, we're

going to take responsibility to solve the big problems that everyone agrees can't wait any longer. we'll save medicare and social security for the new generation to come. we'll restore the $716 president obama has taken from medicare to pay for his obama care. thel reform healthcare and cost that's been skyrocketing to provide for those with preexisting conditions as well and to ensure that every american has access to healthcare. replaceing to government choice with consumer choice and bring the dynamics of the marketplace to a that's been -- now the divide between the political parties. we're going to meet with leaders in washington regularly. we're going to look for common ground and shared principles. we'll put the interest of the american people above the interest of the politicians. [applause]

and i know something about leading. because i've led before. in business, in the olympics, in my state, i've brought people together to achieve real change. i was elected a republican governor in a state that was 85% democrat. i came into office, we were looking at a multibillion dollar budget gap. but instead of fighting with each other we came together to solve the problems. we cut government spending and reduced it. we lowered taxes 19 times. we had school choice. we worked to move our state business friendly and it moved up 20 places in job growth. we turned a $3 billion into a $2 billion fund. i know it because i've seen it. good democrats can come together with good republicans to solve problems.

what we need is leadership to make that happen. [applause] america is ready for that kind of leadership. paul ryan and i will provide it. our plan for a stronger middle class will create jobs, stop the decline in take home pay and put america back on the path of prosperity and opportunity. this will enable us to fulfill our responsibility as the leader in the free world. we'll help the muslim world combat the spread of extremism. we'll present iran from building a nuclear bomb. we'll partner with china and other great nations to build a more peaceful world. we face big challenges, but we also have big opportunities. new doors have been opened to us to sell new products around the world.

new technologies offer the promise of unbound invasion. new ideas are changing lives and hearts and diverse nations among diverse people's. if we seize the moment and rise to the occasion, the century ahead will be an american century. our children will graduate into jobs that are waiting for them. our seniors will be confident that their retirement is secure. we'll have confidence that our lives are safe and that our livelihoods are secure. what this requires is change. change from the course of the last four years. it requires that we put aside the small and the petty and demand the sail of change we deserve. we need real change, big change. that time has come. our campaign -- [applause]

our campaign is about that kind of change, confronting the problems that politicians have avoided for over a decade, revitalizing our competitive economy, modernizing education, restoring our founding principles. this change promises a better future, one shaped by men and women pursuing their dreams in unique ways. this election is a choice between the status quo going forward with the same policies of the last four years or instead choosing real change, change that offers promise, programs that the future will be better has been the past. if you're ready for that kind of change, if you want this to be a turning point in america's course. join paul ryan and me. get your friends and family to do the same and vote now for the kind of leadership that these times demand. i'm counting on iowa. iowa may be the next place to decide who the next pts is.

i'm counting on you to vote, to get your friends to vote, to work at the polls to bring people out. we've got to take back america and make sure we have the kind of change that gets america strong for us and for coming generations. thank you guys. god bless america, god bless iowa and god bless you. thank you so much. [applause]

>> and now michelle obama in las vegas and the bottom up. this is about 35 minutes. -- and now michelle obama and las vegas at a campaign rally for president obama. this is about 35 minutes.

>> yes! [applause] >> we are going to do this. thank you also much. i am so excited to be here. of course i want to wish you all a happy nevada day! for who? no, it's not my birthday. belated? my birthday is in january. you have not missed it. but thank you, though. i want to thank shelby for everything she is doing on behalf of our kids and the work she's doing on behalf of this campaign. let's give for a round of applause. [applause] i also want to thank landra reid. she as senator reid had been some -- tremendous friends and

supporters. they are champions for the state and country. we are proud to have them on our side. also steven horsford. all of whom will make wonderful representatives in congress. [applause] and of course i want to recognize congresswoman berkley who will make a tremendous senator. most of all -- we need her. but most of all, i want to thank all of you. thank you for being here today. thank you for working so hard. i am glad you guys are fired up and ready to go. i love it. [applause] because if you have not noticed, i am feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself.

so here is the secret. one of the reasons i really love campaigning, and i do not share this with my husband often, but it is because i get to do one of my favorite things -- i get to talk about the man that i love and have an admired since the day i met him 23 years ago. this is a very good excuse. all the men out there, we know we wives do all this might talk behind your back. hopefully he is not listening. although my husband's is handsome and charming and incredibly smart, that is not what i married him. no.

listen up. to all the fellas out there if you're wondering, how do you get a good woman? i know we have a lot of them out here. listen up. what truly made me fall in love with barack obama is his character. his decency, his honesty, his compassion and conviction. [applause] this is the man i have known my entire life with him. i loved that he was so committed to serving others. he turned down high-paying jobs and instead started his career fighting to get people back to work in struggling communities. i love that about him. i loved that barack was so

devoted to his family. especially the women in his life. i saw the respect he had for his mother. how proud he was that she was able to put herself through school and still do everything it took to support he and his sister as a single mom. i saw the tenderness he felt for his grandmother, how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still waiting up every morning to catch that bus to the community bank, doing everything to help our family. he watched her get passed over again and again for promotion simply because she was a woman. but she kept getting up every day, year after year to that same job without complaint or regret. with barack in his story, i saw so much of my own. growing up on the south side of chicago, i watched my own father make that same

uncomplaining journey to his job every day at the city water plant. i saw my father get up every day and carry himself with that same dignity. that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he could never imagine for himself. this is the thing. like so many families in this country, our families just were not asking for much. they did not want much. they did not begrudge anyone else's success. they did not mind if others had more. in fact, they admired it. that is why they pushed us to be the very best we could be.

but here is what they did believe -- they believed in the fundamental american promise. that even if you do not start out with much, in america, if you do what you were supposed to do, you work hard, then he should be able to build a decent life herself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids. [applause] and they also believed that when you work hard and you have done well and you finally walk through that doorway of opportunity, you did not slam it shut behind you. no, you reach back and you give other folks the same chance that help you succeed. [applause] that is how barack and i and i know so many of you were raised. those were the values we were taught. more than anything else, that is what this election is about.

it is a choice about our hopes and values and aspirations. more importantly, it is a choice about the america we want to leave for our kids and grandkids. you know? what does that america look like? let's talk about that. we believe in an america where every child, do you hear me, every child, no matter where they are born or how much money their parents make, every child in this country deserves good schools. [applause] and inspires them and prepare them for jobs and college. we believe in an america where no one goes broke because someone gets sick. where no one loses their home because someone loses a job. we believe in an america where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own. that there is always a community of people lifting us up.

where we treat everyone with dignity and respect, from the teachers to inspire us to the janitors to keep our schools clean. [applause] see, and in this america that we are trying to build, in that america when one of us stumbles, because we all have the potential to stumble, when one of us falls on hard times, we do not turn our backs and tell them tough luck, you are on your own. not in this america. we extend a helping hand while they get back on their feet again. [applause] we believe that the truth matters. that you do not take shortcuts. you do not play by your own set of rules. we believe in keeping our priorities straight. we know good and well that

cutting sesame street is no way to balance our budget. we know better than that. [applause] we know that shortchanging our kids is not how we tackle this deficit. if we truly want to build opportunities for all americans, then we know we need to cut wasteful spending but we also have to make smart investments in things like education and infrastructure for an economy that is built to last. that is what my husband stands for. [applause] [cheers] that is the country he has been working to build. those are his values. of the past four years as first lady, i have seen up close and personal just how critical those values are for leading this country. let me share with you -- i have seen how the issue that come across the president's desk are

always the hard ones. the decision that are not just about the bottom line. they are about laying a foundation for the next generation and i have seen how important it is to have a president who does not just tell us what we want to hear. but who tells us the truth, even when it is hard. when it comes time to make those tough calls, everyone around you is urging you to do what is easy. what polls best, what gives good headlines. as president, you have to be guided by the struggles, hopes, and dreams of all the people you serve. that is how you make the right decisions for this country. that is what it takes to be leader. let me tell you, since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis, i have been there, right by his side.

that is what we have seen in my hat in. think back to barack first office. where was this country? we were on the brink of collapse as an economy. newspapers were using words like "melt down," "calamity." and how did we get there? for years, people were lured into buying homes they could not afford so their mortgages were underwater. if you recall, the auto industry was in crisis. the economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month and folks were wondering whether we were heading for another great depression. you hear me? that is what barack inherited on day one as the president of the united states. your president got to work because he was thinking of but like my dad and his grandmother and that is why he cut taxes for small businesses and

working families. we have a president who understands that teachers and firefighters should not pay hire tax rates than millionaires and billionaires. not in america. [applause] that is why while some folks, if you recall, were willing to let the auto industry under. with more than 1 million jobs that would have been lost. barack had the back of the american workers. he fought hard to protect jobs for american and families. thankfully because of his hard work, today the auto industry is back on its feet again. [applause]

yes, while we still have more work to do to rebuild the economy, there are more and more signs every day that we're headed in the right direction. the stock market has doubled. exports have grown by 45%. manufacturers have added 45,000 jobs. we have had 31 straight months with private sector job growth, totaling 5.2 million new jobs under this president. [applause] in addition to the creation, as best as you have to be able to do more than one thing at a time. our president was also focused on improving access to health care for millions of americans. barack did not care whether health reform was the easy thing to do politically because that is not who he is. he cares that it was the right thing to do. he was thinking about all those folks he meets every day across

the country. the woman diagnosed with cancer whose insurance company would not cover her care. the seniors hinging pennies to save up for the medicine they need. the parents who could i get like savings -- lifesaving treatments for their children because one of them lost a job. those stories happen every day across this country for health care -- before health care. but today, we are paying hundreds less for prescription drugs. our children, our sons and daughters can stay on our insurance until they are 26 years old because of health reform. because of health reform, insurance companies now have to cover basic preventive care, no out-of-pocket costs. things like contraception, breast cancer screenings.

they will not be able to discriminate against you because you have a pre-existing condition. let's say diabetes or even asthma. and it began a life-threatening illness in need real expensive treatment, no longer can it tell you, sorry, you have hit your lifetime limit. that is now illegal because of health care reform carried when it comes to giving young people the education they deserve, let me just share something. your president knows that like me and so many of you, we never could have gone to college without financial aid. never. look at me. i would not be here if it were not for financial aid. in fact, when we were first married, our combined monthly student loan bills were higher than our mortgage trade and i know a lot of people can relate to that.

so understand, when it comes to student debt, barack and i, we have been there. this is not a hypothetical for us. that is why he got so hard to double funding for tall grass to keep interest rates low. we have a president who knows how important it is for all our young people to have a chance to go to college. finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women, when it comes to standing up for our rights and our opportunities, we know that my husband will always have our back. [applause] because barack knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women are not treated fairly in the

workplace. believe me, as the father of two beautiful daughters, he knows what it means to what your daughters to have the same opportunities as our sons. that is why the first bill he signed was the lily ledbetter act. people always try to ensure that we as women can make our own decisions about our bodies and health care. [applause] that is what my husband stands for. we got 11 days, right? i know you all are gonna be out there, right? what you are out there and you run into somebody asks what has president done for our country, when you run into those folks who are deciding which of these two candidates will keep this country moving forward -- [applause]

[cheers] crowd: four more years! >> that's right. crowd: four more years! >> here are a few things i wanted to tell them. love you, babe. we are gonna get this done. in addition to everything this president has done for our economy, health care, education, for women, i also wanted to remind them that your president ended the war in iraq. this is the president who took out osama bin laden. [applause] tell them how barack is fighting every day to make sure our veterans get the benefits they deserve.

tell them about the young immigrant in this country who will never again have to live in fear of being deported from the only country they have ever called home. tell them how our service members will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love. i want you all to remind them of the concrete plans this president has laid out for the next four years. send them to the web site. learn about how the will create millions of new jobs come up with american made an edgy, reduce our deficit. and end the war in afghanistan. here is what i really wanted to tell them -- barack obama knows the american dream because he has lived it.

he is fighting everyday so that everyone of us in this country can have that same opportunity. no matter who we are or where we are from or what we look like or who we love. let's be clear. while he is very proud of what we have all the two together, because no president does anything alone, he has done this with you. my husband is nowhere near satisfied. barack of all people knows that too many people are still hurting. he knows that there are plenty -- there is plenty court left to be done. as president clinton said, it will take a lot longer than four years to finish rebuilding an economy that was on the brink of collapse. but here is the thing, what i can tell you for sure is that think fully in barack, we have a leader with a deep and

unyielding faith in the american people a leader who understands that this country was built by men and women who wake up every day at work hard for their families and do it without complaint and regret. that is what my husband has been fighting for. he is been fighting for us and that is why when the stakes are so high, you can always trust barack to have our back. [applause] that you can trust. yes we can. yes we will. [applause] what we have to understand is over these past four years, together, we have been pulling ourselves out of that hole we started in and we're moving this country forward and making real

and meaningful change. here is what folks have to ask themselves. are we going to turn around and go back to the same policies that got us in that hole in the first place? are we going to keep moving this country forward? what are we going to do? keep moving forward. we gotta go forward. but here's the thing, the answers to these questions is on us now. those answers are on us. we do understand now. all the hard work, all the progress we have made is all on the line. the choices are so clear. and it is all at stake this november.

as my husband has said over and over again, this election will be even closer than the last one. it can all come down to what happens in just a few key battleground states like right here in nevada. [applause] let's understand the work we can do. think back to what happened here in 2008. barack won the state by 121,000 votes. that might sound like a lot but if you take that number emigrated across all of the precincts, that is just 69 votes per precinct. that was the margin of difference in 2008. that could mean just one or two votes in your neighborhood. that is the difference of just a single vote at your apartment

building or in a dorm room. if there is anyone here or anyone that you know who might be thinking their vote does not matter, that their involvement does not count, in this complex political process that ordinary folks cannot possibly make a difference, i just want you to remind them of those 69 votes. that's real. right? that's within the realm of our knowledge. we know enough people to take this over the top right here in this room. just think, with just a few more evenings on the phone bank, just a few more hours knocking on doors, we only have 11 days. the folks in this room alone can swing an entire precincts for barack obama. [applause] when we win in that recent, we

will when the state. when we win this state, the will be well on the way to bring barack obama back to the white house for four more years. you all can do it. crowd: four more years! >> right here. so here's the plan -- we got a plan. it's a secret plan so come in close. here's what we need you to do for the next 11 days. we need you to work but yet never worked before. this is focus stuff. sign up to be one of our volunteers. sign up to make phone calls, to knock on doors.

talk to everyone you know. your friends, if your neighbors, the cousin you have not seen in a long time, that class may. now is the time to pull them in and tell them what is at stake. especially for the young people here. i do not want young people to ever underestimate the power of what they can do. i cannot tell you how many young people i have run into who told me that in 2008, they said my parents and grandparents were not going to vote for barack obama but when i talked to them about what this election meant for my future, i convinced them to vote for the president. so that as the power of what you can do. [applause] you often tell people that they do not have to wait until november 6 to cast their ballots. last week, i voted early by mail. and, yes, i voted for barack obama. [applause]

want the record to show. i want to spend election day helping to get the vote out. i hope that some many of you went to the same. here in nevada, boating has already begun. right after this event, we have a big group double walk over to boulevard mall to cast their vote. we want you to go. after i'm done, do not leave yet. i want to get back to malia and sasha tonight. so i'm not gonna go vote but i need you all to vote. meet at the flag pole and follow our school performers. they're ready. you're gonna have a little music.

so follow the band and make sure your voices are heard. from now until november 2, people can vote early in person and right in their neighborhood. make sure you are responsible for finding 5, 6, 7, 10 people you will be responsible for getting to the polls. got it? that's our plan. now it is out there for the world to see. so now we have to execute. i will be honest with you. understand this journey is going to be hard. there will be plenty of ups and downs over the next 11 days. you have seen what does happen.

this thing goes like that. when you get tired and start thinking about taking it off. november 7, that is the day. understand that what you do the next 11 days will absolutely make a difference between waking up the day after election day and asking ourselves could we have done more? or feeling the promise of four more years. so now until the sixth, we need to keep working because that is how change always happens in this country. [applause] that is how it always happens. i want young people to listen. because this is important for you all to know.

we know from our history that change is hard. the folks who have been around, change is hard. but he will hit those bumps in life. you will have people telling you what you cannot do. you cannot be. but if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight and doing in our hearts what we know is right, then eventually we get there. we always do. that is why i am standing here. so i did not want anyone to ever talk down your dream. and aspirations. do not let anyone talk down our country and our country's future. you have every reason in the

world to be optimistic about what lies ahead. because here in america, we always move forward. we always make progress. we never go back. in the end, that is what this is about. that is why we are here. that is what elections are always about. elections are always about hope. you know what kind of hope i am talking about. the kind of hope that i saw on my father's face as he watched me walk across the state to get my college diploma. the diploma he took out loans to help me get. the hope brought -- the hope barack's grandmother felt when she cast the ballot for the grants and she helped raise. the hope of the men and women in our lives who saved and sacrificed and worked that extra shift for us. that is why we are here today.

we want to give all of our children that foundation for their dream. you know? we want to give all of our kids opportunities worthy of their promise. because i do not care who you support, all of our children are worthy. they are all worthy. we want to give our kids that sense of limitless possibility. that belief that here in america, the greatest country on the planet, there is possibility. we cannot turn back now. our children deserve better. we will not turn back now. we have come so far. but we have some much more work

to do. for these 11 days, my last question is, are we ready for this? are you ready to roll up your sleeves, make it happen? get out there. we are doing this for our kids. let's stay fired up and ready to go. we get this done. i love you all. god bless. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] ♪

>> harry reid suffered minor injuries in a traffic accident friday in the bed that purity was examined at a nearby hospital and released. he had bruising to his hips and rib. police said he was wearing his seat belt. senator harry reid's light was speaking at the rally featuring michelle obama at the time of the accident. what our coverage of the

presidential races. next, your calls and comments on "washington journal." and live at 11:30, republican vice president a candidate paul ryan campaigns in ohio. >> one of 10,000 homes there tried to get homdone. these are houses a better never coming back. >> not right now, and up. one family every 20 minutes is moving out. >> these houses are just disappearing from the landscape. >> just recently, 164

firefighters were laid off as part of this downsizing, this effort for the mayor to get the finances under control. so firefighters which detroit needs, it has the highest case of arson in the country, these guys are laid off. about two weeks later, 100 guys are rehired. when you look to see where that money came from, it is homeland security has a fund for things like that. and i do not want to overstate, but that is something that you want to think about. the department of homeland security stepped in to keep the trite as safe as it can be for the moment. it could be safer. but i wonder, and i wondered making this film, we saw and auto bailout, we saw the bank bailout. are we heading into an era of the bail out the city. is there sh